Ozymandias

I cannot help but write a review of Breaking Bad's "Ozymandias". I can't get the that one hour of television out of my head. Pick your stage - theatre, cinema, the web, television - this is as good as it gets!

If you haven't seen Breaking Bad yet, do NOT start with this episode. You may have heard that this is the greatest episode in the history of television, but seeing it cold turkey would leave most people thinking that Breaking Bad just gets it kicks from pure sadomasochism. This episode is brutal. Still, alone or as part of its integral whole, "Ozymandias" delivers performances and directing that are simply breath taking. It grabs your body and emotions and wrings them out. I was left limp, in tears, clinging to my chair.

The acting in this episode engulfs the audience. Performances range powerful to subtle, and then in the closing scene are as layered and complex as they can come. Bryan Cranston is so often mentioned in Breaking Bad reviews as an amazing actor. After "Ozymandias" I for one hold Anna Gunn with her performance of Skyler White in equal amazement.

And the writing here is so good (credit Moira Walley-Beckett). One example of many is the closing scene mirroring the opening scene. We have Walt phoning Skyler, their daughter Holly playing a role in both conversations. These scenes come from two different worlds - one light and fun, the other dark and devastating, and yet they still manage the mirror, twisted as it might be, which is itself a reflection of the man Walter White has become. (There is another level to viewing this mirror, but that would spoil the episode's content.) And the scenes book end not just this episode but the entire series of Breaking Bad. I was also floored that in this darkest, most heart wrenching of episodes, the writers were still able to add a touch of levity with Walter's trek through the desert.

This episode, unlike quite a few from Breaking Bad, hits hard at an emotional core. I have read that many viewers of Breaking Bad don't connect a ton with the characters. They might cheer for some one, but just for a while. And they won't cry for anyone. I get that. Me, I've cried a few times over the course of the series. But with Ozymandias, who could not help but cry, over and over again.

I gotta close with the closing scene in "Ozymandias". If you are not sure of how it is supposed to play, writer Moira Walley-Beckett has spelled it out clearly. Look it up if you need to. One can be forgiven for not initially knowing how the scene plays out because Walter White plays it so well. But then here Bryon Cranston, Anna Gunn and Betsy Brandt (taking the once side show role of Marie Schrader to a profound and essential level) give performances of a lifetime. It is a scene that reminds us why we bother with TV or cinema or theatre to begin with: It can be a beautiful and moving reflection of our reality, taking us places in our lives that we don't dare go on our own.

As I write this review two days after "Ozymandias" aired, 10,333 IMDb viewers have rated it 10 out of 10. This is a performance that truly deserves a perfect 10.

Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad has been rightfully declared amongst the 'golden age of television' canon. And Ozymandias is one of the series' many high-points. It's tense, shocking, and even when things seem to be at the end of the road there's still one unexpected thing after another. Series-long revelations are made, some are broken, but it's all impacting upon the viewer. Ozymandias is unlike any other episode on television; and I think we have Rian Johnson's direction, Moira Walley-Beckett's genius writing and Bryan Cranston's top-tier performance to thank for accomplishing this.

Ozymandias is taught, penultimate storytelling for an already penultimate series in the medium of television. Everything here is done so perfectly. A crucial thread in the series has its revelation and the drama in Walter White's world is cranked up to 1110%. Hell: the episode can even be enjoyed on its own; though I do recommend watching the entire series though. Every minute is absolutely worth it. Breaking Bad deserves a full-watch.

I applaud Gilligan, Cranston, Johnson and Walley-Beckett for giving the world such a golden episode in the history of television.

You've all made a classic for the ages. Well done.

Wonderful, truly a masterpiece. I liked this episode more than any tv show episode I ever watched.

10/10 (wished it was 11/10). Best tv show in my opinion and definitely my favourite.

This episode hits differently. Ironic how Ozymandias is the King of Kings in TV. Watch this show if you haven't. Almost exactly an year ago, i've completed watching BB. And now, when i re-watched it, i don't even know what to say.

5 years and 59 episodes in the making, everything boils down to the most intense and devastating 45 minutes of the show culminating in what is perhaps the greatest TV episode I have ever seen. Every revelation gets more shocking throughout the course of the episode, none of which give you a moment to breathe. Many of the events have been long inevitable throughout the series, but when the time does arrive, you find you wish those secrets had been left buried.

The acting in this episode is phenomenal, testament to the chemistry achieved between the main cast, all of whom put out their greatest performances. The writing is sublime, maintaining the consistently excellent dialogue characteristic of this show. I'd willingly put money that this episode completely sweeps next year's Emmy awards.

Following the airing of this episode, the end has never felt so close and you quickly realise that you're not quite ready to let go of this show. It's not often that a show gets to end on its own accord and sometimes rarer that it goes out with a bang, but this episode signifies that the show will end with its head held high, and rightfully secures its legacy as one of the greatest programmes to grace the medium.